A father said his son is facing surgeries stemming from second-degree burns he received in a case of gross child abuse.

Jeremiah Lopez, 3, had another surgery Tuesday morning and has been hospitalized for the past week and a half.

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Lopez was severely burned at a Rio Rancho apartment complex. The boy's father said the child's head was dunked in a pot of scalding water. The father said the man responsible is Michael Maes, who is currently in the Sandoval County jail on stabbing charges. It wasn't immeditaely clear if the stabbing case was related.

Maes was at the apartment complex, visiting the 3-year-old's mother. Rio Rancho police confirmed they're investigating the case, but won't release any other details.

Action 7 News has also learned that the Children, Youth and Families Department has suspended the mother's visitation rights with Lopez's sister and that she too could soon face charges.

Originally, the boy's mother claimed the injuries were accidental. Sources said the doctors noticed the boy's burns indicated he had been submerged, making it less likely that this was an accident.

The boy is expected to have some scarring, but doctors said he'll eventually make a full recovery.